| p>I do not know many people who like 'cold | | | | home staging and redesign services. Here are a |
| calling' to make a sale, and I do not know many | | | | few that have proven to be the best for new |
| people who are good at it. So let's take a look at | | | | entrepreneurs: |
| another way to make your 'sale' by developing | | | | NETWORKING RELATIONSHIPS- go to many |
| relationships with real people who you really want | | | | different networking events and choose to join |
| to do business with! | | | | the ones that you feel most connected with and |
| As an instructor I often hear this comment: | | | | who also have the same values as you do. Once |
| "SELLING IS THE HARDEST THING FOR ME TO | | | | you find a networking group you want to join |
| DO" | | | | then make a commitment to be there each time |
| Before taking my 'leap of faith' and doing | | | | there is a meeting. Get to know the other |
| something that I really loved to do I had spent | | | | members. Find and connect with people that you |
| years in the corporate world as a very successful | | | | genuinely want to do business with. Let them get |
| sales person in a service industry. Each year we | | | | to know who you are and what you do. We have |
| had to analyze our sales and determine what our | | | | all been to those networking events where right |
| budgets would be for the next year. We often | | | | off the bat someone wants to sell you something |
| based our projections upon what is called the 80 | | | | and they have not taken any time to get to |
| 20 rule. | | | | know you, or even what your needs are. This |
| From Wikipedia it states: | | | | can be offensive and many a good sale is lost by |
| *The 80 - 20 Rule: The Pareto principle or the | | | | not taking time to build trust with one another. |
| 80-20 rule states that, for many events, roughly | | | | REALTOR RELATIONSHIPS - when you are |
| 80% of the effects come from 20% of the | | | | first starting out you need to be 'out there' |
| causes. Business management thinker Joseph M. | | | | meeting as many realtors as you can spending |
| Juran suggested the principle and named it after | | | | about 65% of your time doing this. You will be |
| Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto, who observed in | | | | able to discern which ones you have the best fit |
| 1906 that 80% of the land in Italy was owned by | | | | with and who you will continue to develop |
| 20% of the population; he developed the principle | | | | relationships with. Ideally over time you can |
| by observing that 20% of the pea pods in his | | | | develop more exclusive relationships with fewer |
| garden contained 80% of the peas. It is a | | | | realtors. However you always want to be |
| common Rule of Thumb business; e.g., "80% of | | | | meeting new realtors due to the nature of the |
| your sales come from 20% of your clients. | | | | market. |
| Another source states this: | | | | STRATEGIC ALLIANCE RELATIONSHIPS - |
| *t really doesn't matter what numbers you apply, | | | | think about all of the industry-related people that |
| the important thing to understand is that in your | | | | you know that you can develop stronger |
| life there are certain activities you do - your 20% | | | | relationships with. Going out for a coffee or |
| that account for the majority - your 80% of | | | | sending a card to keep in touch over time, will |
| your happiness and outputs. | | | | definitely pay off for you. Alliances can also be |
| So what this suggests is that you need to look at | | | | great for referrals as well and this group can help |
| building quality, long-term relationships with clients | | | | build your business. |
| that you like doing business with. Forget about | | | | HOME SELLER RELATIONSHIPS - while you |
| 'hard selling' to prospects and/or existing clients, | | | | may only stage a home the same client once |
| but rather take the approach that you want to | | | | every few years (or perhaps not even this often) |
| get to know these contacts better by developing | | | | remember that you can also move this client into |
| stronger relationships. | | | | their new home. Also, never underestimate the |
| SOME TIPS FOR RELATIONSHIP SELLING... | | | | value of home-seller referrals. Referrals can add |
| There will be a variety of opportunities for you to | | | | up to be a sizable income source for you. |
| build relationships so that you can 'soft sell' your | | | | |